Jonathan Kestenbaum, Baron Kestenbaum

Last updated


The Lord Kestenbaum
Born
Jonathan Andrew Kestenbaum

(1959-08-05) August 5, 1959 (age 64)
Tokyo, Japan
CitizenshipBritish [1]
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Chief operating officer of RIT Capital Partners plc, and a Labour member of the House of Lords
Political party Labour Party
Relativesgreat-grandson of Joseph Breuer, and great-great-great-grandson of Samson Raphael Hirsch and of Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins.
Awards

Jonathan Andrew Kestenbaum, Baron Kestenbaum (born 5 August 1959) is the chief operating officer of investment trust RIT Capital Partners plc, and a Labour member of the House of Lords. He is a great-grandson of Joseph Breuer, and a great-great-great-grandson of Samson Raphael Hirsch and of Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins. He is a former Chief Executive of the innovation foundation the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). He was founding Chief Executive of the non-profit "action tank" The Portland Trust. Kestenbaum was created a life peer in 2011 as Baron Kestenbaum of Foxcote in the County of Somerset, and sits on the Labour benches. In 2013, Kestenbaum was installed as Chancellor of Plymouth University.

Contents

Early life and education

Kestenbaum was born in Tokyo, Japan, and is British. [1] Both his parents' families fled Nazi Germany – first to the United States, then Japan. The family moved to the UK in 1964 when he was five years old.

Kestenbaum is a great-grandson of Joseph Breuer, and a great-great-great-grandson of Samson Raphael Hirsch and of Eliezer Liepman Philip Prins. [2] [3]

Kestenbaum graduated from the London School of Economics where he read Economics and Anthropology, and then pursued postgraduate study at Cambridge University in the Department of Anthropology. [4] He completed an MA in Education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was subsequently awarded a research scholarship in Education at the Hebrew University. On his return to the UK, Kestenbaum earned an MBA with distinction from the Cass Business School. [4] He is a graduate of the Cabinet Office Top Management Programme and a graduate of the Strategic Agility Programme at Harvard Business School. [4] He has an Honorary Doctorate in Technology from the University of Plymouth, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art. [5]

Career

Before becoming active in business, he started his career in education, building an international training programme for young educators.

Subsequently, Kestenbaum was Chief Executive of the Office of the Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, and then Chief Executive of the charity the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA). [4] [6] Following a restructure which involved a merger with another UK charity, the UJIA won the National Charity Award. [4] [7] He has also worked as Chief of Staff to Sir Ronald Cohen, the Chairman of private equity firm Apax Partners, and was founding Chief Executive of non-profit "action tank" The Portland Trust. [4]

In 2005 he became Chief Executive of the innovation foundation National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). [6] [4] Whilst at NESTA he highlighted the importance of innovation to economic growth [8] [9] and was an advocate for UK technology start-ups. [10] [11]

In 2010 he was appointed Chairman of Five Arrows Ltd, and subsequently became chief operating officer of the listed investment trust RIT Capital Partners plc. [4] [6] [12] [13]

Kestenbaum has served in a number of non-executive roles. He was on the Board of the Design Council and Enterprise Insight, and was Non-Executive Chairman of Quest, a large accounting business. [4] He served on the Governing Body of the innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board, acted as a Commissioner of the Manchester Independent Economic Review [14] and he was Chairman of the City of Manchester Science Review. [4] He chaired the board of directors of The Capital Holdings Funds (EDR Group), and was a member of the Board of Profero, a digital marketing company. [15] In January 2014 Profero was sold to Lowe, a subsidiary of Interpublic Group (IPG). [16] He has completed his term of office on the Innovation Advisory Group at Imperial College and is now Adjunct Professor at the Imperial College Business School. He also served on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was involved in developing the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon. [17]

Kestenbaum twice represented Great Britain at football in the Maccabiah Games - in 2001 as a player and in 2009 as Manager. [18] [19] [20] He is an Honorary Life President of Maccabi GB. [21]

He serves on the Board of Windmill Hill Asset Management. [21] In 2023 he was appointed as a Director of JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust plc. In the same year he was appointed as a Trustee of Teach First and serves as the Vice Chairman of Labour Together.

In December 2013, Kestenbaum was installed as Chancellor of Plymouth University. [22] [21]

House of Lords

Kestenbaum was created a life peer on 24 January 2011 as Baron Kestenbaum of Foxcote in the County of Somerset. [23] He was introduced in the House of Lords on 26 January 2011, [24] and sits on the Labour benches. [4] [25]

Lord Kestenbaum serves as a member of the Select Committee on Financial Services Regulation.

Arms

Coat of arms of Jonathan Kestenbaum, Baron Kestenbaum
Crest
In front of two arched tablets of stone representing those inscribed with the Ten Commandments Proper a cat couchant resting the dexter forepaw on a scroll Argent. [26]
Escutcheon
Gules a horse chestnut tree eradicated Or flowered Argent fructed Gules in chiief fourt martlets Argent.
Supporters
On either side a lion Or that on the dexter resting its interior hind leg on an eastern hemisphere territorial globe and that on the sinister resting its interior hind leg on a western hemisphere territorial globe Or the land masses Sable.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Puttnam</span> British film producer (born 1941)

David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, HonFRSA, HonFRPS, MRIA is a British-Irish film producer, educator, environmentalist and former member of the House of Lords. His productions include Chariots of Fire, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, The Mission, The Killing Fields, Local Hero, Midnight Express and Memphis Belle. In 1982, he received the BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema, and in 2006 he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville</span> British politician, businessman and philanthropist

David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, is a British politician, businessman and philanthropist. From 1992 to 1997, he served as chairman of Sainsbury's, the supermarket chain established by his great grandfather John James Sainsbury in 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild</span> English peer, investment banker and philanthropist (1936–2024)

Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild,, was a British peer, investment banker and member of the Rothschild banking family. Rothschild held important roles in business and British public life, and was active in charitable and philanthropic areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley</span> British businessman (born 1948)

Edmund John Phillip Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley,, is a British businessman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Levy, Baron Levy</span> British Baron (born 1944)

Michael Abraham Levy, Baron Levy is a British life peer and former chartered accountant who was chairman and CEO of a large independent group of music companies. A long-standing friend of former prime minister Tony Blair, Levy was the chief fundraiser for the Labour Party under Blair and spent nine years as Blair's special envoy to the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayes Business School</span> Business school in London

Bayes Business School, formerly known as Cass Business School, is the business school of the City, University of London, located in St Luke's, just to the north of the City of London. It was established in 1966, and it is consistently ranked as one of the leading business schools in the United Kingdom.

Ian Charter MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth is a British businessman, who has been chairman of Vodafone and chairman and chief executive of Tesco. He is a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, a former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club and a former Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken</span> British businessman

Peter Keith Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken KStJ is a businessman who was chairman of Lloyd's of London from 2003 until 2011 and Lord Mayor of London from 1998 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Didgemere</span>

Allen John George Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Didgemere, was a British industrialist and Conservative member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Myners, Baron Myners</span> British businessman and peer (1948–2022)

Paul Myners, Baron Myners, was a British businessman and politician. In October 2008 he was elevated to the House of Lords as a life peer and was appointed City Minister in the Labour Government of Gordon Brown, serving until May 2010. As City Minister Myners was responsible for overseeing the financial services sector during the global financial crisis and its aftermath, including leading the controversial 2008 United Kingdom bank rescue package. Myners sat in the House of Lords as a Labour peer until 2014, resigning to become a non-affiliated member before joining the crossbench group in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel</span> British peer and Lord Chamberlain from 2006 to 2021

William James Robert Peel, 3rd Earl Peel,, styled Viscount Clanfield until 1969, is a British hereditary peer who was a Conservative peer from 15 May 1973 until October 2006 when, on his appointment as Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, he became a crossbench (non-partisan) member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemington, Somerset</span> Human settlement in England

Hemington is a village and civil parish 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north west of Frome, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. It is located just off the A366 between Trowbridge and Radstock. The parish includes the villages of Hardington, Faulkland and Foxcote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Grabiner, Baron Grabiner</span> British lawyer (born 1945)

Anthony Stephen Grabiner, Baron Grabiner, KC is a British barrister, academic administrator, and life peer. He is head of chambers at One Essex Court, a leading set of commercial barristers in the Temple, and was the Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn for 2013. From 2014 to 2021 he served as the Master of Clare College, Cambridge and, since 2015, he has served as the President of the University of Law. Grabiner was non-executive chairman of Taveta Investments Ltd, the holding company of Sir Philip Green behind Arcadia Group from 2002 to December 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Gordon, Baron Gordon of Strathblane</span> Scottish businessman (1936–2020)

James Stuart "Jimmy" Gordon, Baron Gordon of Strathblane, was a Scottish business executive and member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RIT Capital Partners</span> British investment firm run by the Rothschild family

RIT Capital Partners plc, formerly Rothschild Investment Trust, is a large British investment trust dedicated to investments in quoted securities and quoted special situations. Established in 1961, the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Lord Rothschild has been president and Sir James Leigh-Pemberton chairman since September 2019.

The Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) is the independent economic review of a city region. The Review was launched in June 2008 by Secretary of State Hazel Blears and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and published its findings on 6 April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Borwick, 5th Baron Borwick</span>

Geoffrey Robert James Borwick, 5th Baron Borwick, is a British businessman, hereditary peer and member of the House of Lords.

The Portland Trust was established to promote peace and stability between Israelis and Palestinians through economic development. It works with a range of partners to help develop the Palestinian private sector and relieve poverty through entrepreneurship in Israel. It facilitates sustainable economic development through catalysing initiatives to build quality employment and thriving private sectors. Their work advances the growth of strong societies in Israel and Palestine based on socio-economic mobility and inclusion for minorities and marginalised groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Sassoon, Baron Sassoon</span>

James Meyer Sassoon, Baron Sassoon, is a British businessman and politician. After a career in the financial sector he served in various roles in HM Treasury, the UK's finance ministry, from 2002 to 2008, at which point he began advising David Cameron on financial issues. From May 2010 to January 2013, Sassoon was the first Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and was appointed to the House of Lords as a Conservative. In January 2013, he became an executive director of Jardine Matheson Holdings and of Matheson & Co. He is also a director of Hongkong Land, Dairy Farm and Mandarin Oriental and chairman of the China-Britain Business Council.

UJIA (United Jewish Israel Appeal) is a registered charity, based in London, that works with young people in the United Kingdom and in the Galil region of Israel. It provides formal and informal educational programmes that aim to enhance young British Jews' sense of Jewish identity and their connection with Israel. Its chief executive is Mandie Winston and its chair is Louise Jacobs, the first woman in the role.

References

  1. 1 2 "Jonathan Andrew KESTENBAUM personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.
  2. Mirvis, Ephraim. "A rabbi, a Nazi policeman and a moment of humanity" via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  3. Rosenstein, Neil (2017). The Unbroken Chain. The Computer Centre for Jewish Genealogy. ISBN   978-0961057893.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Lord Kestenbaum, Plymouth University's First Chancellor Connect, Winter 2013
  5. "College honours". RCA Website.
  6. 1 2 3 The Kestenbaum phenomenon The Jewish Chronicle, 21 November 2010
  7. "United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA)". Archived from the original on 12 September 2014.
  8. "Financial Times". Financial Times . 12 October 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2021.(subscription required)
  9. "Innovation will get the economy moving". The Guardian . 6 June 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  10. "Public cash has to lead the way on start-up funding - FT.com". Ft.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  11. "If you want geese that lay golden eggs just stop choking the goslings". Telegraph.co.uk. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  12. "RIT's Duncan Budge resigns". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  13. "Venture capital | Kestenbaum joins Five Arrows - Real Deals". Realdeals.eu.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  14. "New ideas will fuel growth | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk". Menmedia.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  15. "Jonathan F Kestenbaum, J Rothschild Capital Mgmt Ltd: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com.
  16. "IPG's Lowe acquires digital agency Profero for undisclosed sum". Thedrum.com. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  17. Bristol, University of. "Bristol University | 2009 Centenary | Centenary lecture". www.bris.ac.uk.
  18. Lord Kestenbaum named as GB president for EMG The Jewish Chronicle, 25 March 2011
  19. "Lord Kestenbaum named Team GB President for 2015 Euro Games". www.jewishnews.co.uk.
  20. Kestenbaum: 'It's time to take a break' The Jewish Chronicle, 2 September 2009
  21. 1 2 3 Lord Kestenbaum Members' Interests, UK Parliament
  22. "No. 59682". The London Gazette . 27 January 2011. p. 1357.
  23. "House of Lords Business". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  24. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4225/career [ bare URL ]
  25. Debrett's Peerage. 2015. p. 687.
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Kestenbaum
Followed by